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Baby clinic visits

Guidelines that are used across Australia recommend regular health checks for your baby at:

birth

One to four weeks

Six to eight weeks

Six to eight months

18 months

Two and a half to three and a half years

Four to five years

Visiting your GP or community child health nurse on a regular basis gives you a chance to discuss any concerns you may have as well as an opportunity to understand how your child is developing. If you are worried about any aspect of your child's health or development between scheduled check-ups, you should make an appointment to discuss your concerns rather than wait.

Personal Health Record (PHR)

Every baby born in Australia is given a Personal Health Record (often referred to as the Blue Book) at birth. This book provides a record of immunisation and health checks, as well as mapping the changes in your baby's development for the first five years of her life.

Because babies develop at different rates, the growth charts should only be used as a guide. You should bring the book to every visit you may have with a health professional - be that GP, hospital or child health clinic - so that you can provide them with a complete personal history for your baby.

Percentile growth charts:

Babies all develop at different rates, so there is a huge variety between them. Because of that, it's a good idea to treat growth chart measurements as a guide. All growth charts are rated in percentiles which cover the variations of 'normal' - and most babies fall between the 5th and 97th percentile bands which are all normal. If your baby is in the 40th percentile for weight and length, it means that he is heavier and taller than 40% of other babies of the same age and sex. A baby in the 80th percentile for head circumference has a larger head than 80% of other babies of the same age and sex - both babies, though, fall comfortably within the 'normal' range.

The most important thing, though, is that your baby is healthy and happy and is growing and developing in his own time - not how he compares on a chart to other babies.

You can work out how tall your child is going to be by using a height predictor tool: